Take Root: Oakland Grows Food

This December, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) presents Take Root: Oakland Grows Food, a new family-friendly exhibition exploring the many aspects of Oakland's food communities and what factors determine where, how, why, and what is grown by residents throughout the city.

Through hands-on interactive displays and personal stories, visitors will learn about Oakland's many thriving urban farms and gardens where locals are cultivating healthy food, right in the middle of our city. Motivations for growing food-including access to healthy ingredients, environmental and social justice values, or simply the joy of tending garden-will also be explored.

"With this exhibition, we want our visitors to learn not only what factors help Oaklanders grow food within our city, but also what makes an urban garden thrive as an ecosystem," says Sarah Seiter, associate curator of natural sciences at the Oakland Museum of California. "This exhibition will encourage exploration and discovery, as well as provide a connection to locals and their neighbors through stories of growing food. We are excited to provide a space where visitors and families can have fun learning and interacting, while also absorbing important information about our local food communities."

Other interactive elements featured in the exhibition will include video footage of insect predators in action; a microscope for visitors to explore beneficial insects within our gardens; opportunities to draw your own garden inspired by local crops and plants; an animation station based on organisms in urban gardens; and a photo contribution wall where Oaklanders can share photos of themselves and their crops. And, a video interview with food growers in Oakland will share personal and collective stories of why people grow food.